“We need the luck of a striker. There are several players who played in the strikers position. They need luck. How many players have had the chances to score and why they didn’t score? You cannot always explain that.

“Of course, we are looking always for solutions in the team. But we still have a good team and we can still score goals. I am convinced of that. But we also need a little bit of luck.”

Van Gaal put all his eggs in the Wayne Rooney-Anthony Martial basket this term and the pair have seven each in all competitions and the pressure on the hitmen has intensified as United struggled for goals.

Van Gaal argues that he’s instilled confidence in Rooney and Martial but trimming the strike department.

However, he does concede his summer decision could backfire.

“If we had kept all the strikers the pressure then comes from the other strikers and who is playing, who is sitting on the bench and who is sitting in the tribune,” he added.

“Then you have a lot of pressure more for the strikers’ position. Now I have given confidence to the players to play there.

“We could have kept all the strikers but then there would have been a lot of strikers in the tribune (stands). They are not happy then. They want to go away. It is the story of Hernandez for example. He wants to play. I can imagine that he can’t always play in this world.

“I don’t believe too much in competition. I believe in trust and confidence. Maybe that is wrong but I have done it all my life as a manager. I give trust to the players.

“Too many strikers of high quality for the same position is too much pressure but now I don’t have the chance to change. Maybe you are right (that it was a mistake to let too many go) but that you cannot see that in advance.”

Which striker would you like in January? Use the comments section below to leave your thoughts.